


Wired

by Mr_Robot



Category: Gorillaz
Genre: 2doc - Freeform, Cyborg 2D AU, Gorillaz - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Slow Burn, plastic beach
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-08 11:34:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14693376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mr_Robot/pseuds/Mr_Robot
Summary: AU in which the victim of the El Manana video is 2D. Murdoc reflects on his feelings.





	1. Chapter 1

Though he’d never admit it out loud, Murdoc remembers everything about that particular moment. It’s not like he _cares_ or anything. That’d be...stupid. He doesn’t miss the idiot. Not at all.

However, he just can’t seem to forget it. The moment good ol’ Stuart Tusspot became 2 Dents, his blue haired, black eyed singer.

I mean, he hadn’t specifically _agreed_ to it, seeing as he was...sort of just...lying on the sidewalk, but at the time Murdoc knew he’d be a perfect fit. He’d convince him. It was fine.

“Are yew crazy?!  Why woul’ I do tha’? Yew almos’ killed me! Twice.”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Dents. We’d make it big!”

“...Alrigh’. I’m quittin’ though if I almos’ die again.”

“Tha’s the spirit! heheh.”

* * *

Murdoc had to give up. He’d spent days scouring the remains of their previous residence for anything that could prove that 2D was alive. It was no use. As he stepped into his plastic palace,  the first thing he heard was Noodle’s voice.

“Did you find him?”

She hadn’t moved from the couch, where she’d been moping ever since the incident.

Murdoc pretended not to hear Noodle. There was no way he could tell her.

“Chikushō! Stop treating me like a child! I deserve to know.”

The silence was enough for her to understand.

“He’s...gone?”

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, he gave her a stone-faced nod. He didn’t know why he was getting emotional. He hated the dullard.

Not knowing how to deal with the problems that had arisen recently, Murdoc spent the weekend locked in his room, leaving the young guitarist to tend to herself. It wasn’t fair, but since when was Murdoc Niccals fair to anyone? He wasn’t sober enough to be upset any longer, but not yet drunk enough to forget his dilemma. That was exactly how his “brilliant” plan came to him.

_Of course. Why hadn’t I thought of it sooner?_

His worst fear was no longer, as the bassist had figured out a way to continue his band. He didn’t have to worry about losing his reputation.

That _was_ his worst fear, wasn’t it? And if it was, what was this empty feeling in the pit of his stomach?

* * *

 

Early the next morning, Murdoc was already headed back to Kong Studios.

After a few hours of combing through the rubble, he spotted a shock of electric blue hairs. _Perfect_.

His plan was coming together quite nicely.

After bagging up the DNA, he returned to Plastic Beach to alert Noodle of the great news.

...Which Noodle didn’t appreciate.

“BAKA! You can’t just replace him like this!”

“Noodz, I’m not replacin ‘im, but we need to do this...for Gorillaz...” he trailed off.

“Ha! For Gorillaz? You don’t care about anyone but yourself.”

 _That’s not true._ Murdoc thought. _If anything, I care too much._

* * *

 

Murdoc wasn’t one for affection. It was something his father had said made him weak, and he needed desperately to prove that he wasn’t. This enforced a lack of affection from his life entirely. He didn’t need to show anyone he cared about them, because he didn’t care about them.

Case and point, Murdoc didn’t have any friends. That is, until he hit Stu-Pot with his Geep.

Now, you might be asking, how in the _hell_ does almost killing someone form a friendship?

Murdoc wasn’t too sure. 2D was just a forgiving person it seemed. Always smiling, getting to know people, being an absolute delight. A bit sickening to Murdoc’s taste, but it gave him the leeway to represent 2D as the face of Gorillaz. Everyone seemed to love him, after all.

Except maybe Murdoc.

Their relationship was confusing. One day Murdoc was nice (nice enough,) cracking dirty jokes with his cheeky grin and razzing their drummer, Russel. The next he could be a real twat, barking at anyone who got in his way, a flask glued to his hand. 2D could never understand what he’d done wrong.

 _Idiot,_ Murdoc would muse. _You didn’t do anything._

Of course out loud this was never his answer.

“The dullard was lookin’ at me funny!”

“Was not! I wasn’ even lookin’ at yew!”

“Could you two drop it? All we ever hear is you fighting,” Russel cut in.

Murdoc wondered how the drummer managed to stay so calm. Rolling his eyes at the incompetence of his band mates, he poured himself his third drink of the morning. It would never be enough.

* * *

 

After using his best mate’s DNA to create a cyborg clone (as you do,) Murdoc officially had a singer for his next album. This of course, was very much disapproved by Noodle, but she didn’t _understand_.

The bassist had spent months in his room, tinkering away at the hollow shell. He couldn’t bring himself to put eyes in his creation, it just didn’t seem right. This was 2D, by all means a freak, but an attractive one at that. With his blue hair and black eyes, he drew the attention of everyone within each room he entered.

When it was time to power up his cyborg, Murdoc felt a spark of doubt resonating inside of him. If this went wrong, he’d be totally screwed. It was, however, his last chance at continuing the fate of Gorillaz.

It was worth a shot.

A few wires sparked, but it lifted it’s head. Murdoc felt his heart clench when it smiled at him. That sappy smile that showed off the bluenette’s gappy teeth and made Murdoc want to hug him and punch his face in at the same time.

But this was not 2D.

This metallic imposter didn’t know Murdoc, didn’t remember him.

Those weren’t his memories, after all.

All at once, the loss hit him, and Murdoc could do nothing but stand there and feel his chest tighten. He could hear Noodle’s voice from the doorway, but his vision swam with tears, and he couldn’t make out what she said.

The floor rushed towards him as he fell to his knees, and he soon felt the soft embrace of the young guitarist as she tried to comfort him.

“‘D’s gone, Noodle,” Murdoc managed to choke out. “He’s gone and he’s not comin’ back,”

* * *

 

There was only one time before where Murdoc was sure he’d lost 2D, but even then it was in a different sense.

Kong Studios was dead silent for at least a month after Paula had left, save for the echo of Russel’s drums.

Murdoc knew he’d messed up. Sure, he slept around, but with his best mate’s girlfriend? That was too far, even for him. The toll it took on 2D was the worst repercussion of the incident. The dullard was so in love with Paula, he couldn’t see how unfaithful she was...until he saw it with his own eyes. With his best friend, at that. He couldn’t even look at Murdoc, no matter how many times the bassist tried to make it up to him.

The silence was broken on a cold afternoon, by the front doorbell.

“Yo, did anyone order a package?” Russel’s voice boomed through the studio.

Murdoc and 2D refused to be in the same room for too long, but the mysterious package drew them both into the foyer. The trio stared at the package until it started to rattle. 2D’s eyes widened in horror.

“Wha’ if it’s a whale?”

Murdoc scoffed. “A fucken’ whale ain’t gonna fit in that small of a box, dullard.”

He was met with glares from both Russ and 2D, which urged him to keep his mouth shut. He didn’t want to start a fight this time.

At last, the box popped open. The three leaped back, afraid of what might be inside, Murdoc picking up a lamp in defense.

What they least expected was a small Japanese girl who could play guitar as good as someone thrice her age.

A grin spread across Murdoc’s face. Maybe this wasn’t the end of Gorillaz after all.

“There’s our new guitarist! The kid’s brilliant!”  
“Murdoc, she’s like ten-” Russel tried to reason with him. It was pointless. The bassist was too far gone.  

At this point, 2D was just trying to figure out who the kid was.

The only response they had gotten from her was “Nu-doh,” as her heavy accent and the language barrier made it hard for them to communicate.

“Maybe tha’s her name?” suggested 2D.

 

So, Noodle it was.

* * *

   

Noodle wasn’t sure how to handle the situation.

By  the age of eight, she was a super soldier.

At the age of ten, she’d used her strength to cleanse Kong Studios of the zombie horde.

She’d taken care of Murdoc’s hangovers and patched up 2D’s many injuries, but this?

This was too much for her.

Not once before in her life had Noodle seen Murdoc Niccals break down, and she wasn't too far off from breaking down herself.

She’d lost the man whom she considered a brother, and the closest thing she had to a father, Russel, had abandoned Gorillaz. Weren’t they supposed to be a family?

Her eyes burned with tears. She’d killed before, and was now determined to avenge 2D, for him and for Gorillaz.

* * *

 

Murdoc woke up on the wooden floor of his bedroom, late into the day.

He couldn’t find Noodle anywhere on Plastic Beach, and he was starting to worry. Russel would gut him if anything happened to her.

An electronic voice made him jump, and he turned to face Cyborg 2D.

“Hello. Is there anything I can do?”

“Ya can fuck off, that’s what ya can do,” Murdoc grumbled, heading downstairs.

The cyborg tilted it’s head, confused. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

"You aren't him, and you never will be. Get out of my sight before I deconstruct you, you good-for-nothing piece of-"  
The cyborg stared at him blankly. Murdoc sighed.

“I’m going to find Noodle, and it would be a hell of a lot easier if you weren’t in my way.”

“Noodle. The girl who left earlier?”

“Do you know where she went?”

Cyborg 2D stiffly nodded before answering. “She said she was “going to avenge him.” I am not sure of who-”

“SHE SAID WHAT?!” Murdoc couldn’t believe the girl could be so stupid. She was going to get herself killed.

He waved at the replica of his best mate to follow him, before practically tugging him outside of their residence. “We need to find her before she gets hurt,” he explained.

Cyborg 2D watched the bassist struggle to prepare his helicopter with an expression of wonder.

Murdoc noted how similar it looked to when the real 2D had first stepped on stage.

_Now is not the time, you idiot._

The two set off to scout the rough seas that Noodle had voyaged earlier.

Murdoc just hoped they’d find her in time.

* * *

 

“The best momen’ of my life, really, was when I met 2D,”

_Shit, why did I say that?_

“Do yew mean tha’?”

2D’s black eyes met Murdoc’s muddy brown ones.

“...No.”

_Liar._

“Oh.”

Murdoc knew he’d hurt the poor idiot, but what the hell was he supposed to do about it? It’s not like he could backtrack on this stupid question.

2D was considerably more quiet throughout the rest of the interview.

* * *

 

Halfway across the ocean, Murdoc was low on fuel and starting to get anxious.

If he lost 2D, Russ _and_ Noodle, he’d have nothing left.

Disoriented in his train of thought, he didn’t notice his robotic companion panicking.

“What is that?!”

Murdoc turned his vision towards where Cyborg 2D was pointing.

Out of the water had risen a giant creature. A creature who looked an awful lot like…

“Russ! What the bloody fuck ‘appened to you?!”

Russel let out a grunt.

“Ate some radioactive fish, don’t question it. What I want to know is why Noodle here was in the middle of the ocean, on her own?”

He raised a giant palm, in which Noodle sat, Pouting.

“Noodz, what did I tell ya abou’ leavin’ Plastic Beach?”

She glanced at him icily, before responding. “I wanted to fight for him. For us.”

Murdoc sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Let’s go back, and we’ll see wha’ we can do about Russel here.”

* * *

 

The day the attack helicopters came was the day they had lost everything.

Murdoc could only watch in horror as Kong Studios was burned to ruins.

It was only until Russel, Noodle and Murdoc had escaped, battered but safe, that Noodle had pointed it out.

“Where’s 2D?”

Murdoc tensed. _Shit_.

He made to go back inside, but halted in his trail as Kong crumbled before him.

The trio called for 2D for hours, but it didn’t get them any closer to finding him.

In the end, they had to accept it.

2D was dead.

Russel couldn’t handle losing another friend, and took off late that night, leaving Noodle to cry herself to sleep against Murdoc’s shoulder.

* * *

 

After restoring Russel to his normal size, the three sat in the kitchen in silence.

“Coffee?” offered Russ.

This was what set Noodle off. Russ couldn’t just leave and then act like everything was normal.

“Why did you leave? Huh? Anata ga kirai! You left me!” Noodle shoved at him, but Russel saw through the act, hugging her close until she calmed.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, baby girl.” He muttered into Noodle’s hair.

Murdoc headed to his room, unsure of what to do. He never had a father figure and didn’t want to ruin this  for Noodle.

"Hol' up Niccals, you have some explaining to do."  
Russel met him with a firm stare.

Letting his shoulders slump, Murdoc raised a questioning brow. He didn't need a lecture from Russ right now.

"What gave you the impression you could replace D with this piece of garbage?" Russel inquired, nodding towards Cyborg 2D.

Murdoc opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a high-pitched _AAAAAIIIEEEEE_ from outside.  
Noodle picked up her gun, leading the two men towards the noise.

"Did something die?"

"Shut up, Niccals."

"I'm fuckin with y-"

"Holy shit."  
  


Standing on the shoreline of Plastic Beach, dripping wet, was 2D.


	2. Chapter 2

"Noodle, Noodle, calm down there-" 2D chuckled  
  
The young girl had dropped her weapon, practically tackling the singer.  
  
"Where were you, man?" Russel stared in shock, least expecting the blue-haired man.  
  
"Sorry mate, got washed up an carried over 'ere by a whale! Can ya believe it?"  
  
Murdoc grunted, pulling the singer to his feet.  
  
"Nice to have ya back, Dents."  
  
2D held his gaze for a few minutes before responding.  
  
"I missed ya too Mudz," the younger man replied softly.  
  
Murdoc hated that. Hated that he could see right through Murdoc's whole act. Hated that he knew Murdoc's more recent nights of pouring glasses were over him.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Let's not get sappy 'ere, dullard."  
  
2D's face fell, but he composed himself.  
  
"Right, sorry mate."  
  


* * *

"Mudz?"

"Nnnnnghhh…"  
  
"Murdoc?"  
  
The bassist groaned, rolling to face the door.  
"What now, dullard?"  
  
"I jus'…I had a nigh'mare."  
  
"Why are you telling me this, Dents?"  
  
"Can I um, can I sleep wiff ya?"  
  
If Murdoc was fully awake, 2D would've regretted even coming close to the older man's bedroom. However, Murdoc was feeling charitable in this sleepy state, and rolled over to make room for the bluenette.  
  
"Fanks Mudz," 2D responded, curling into the sheets.  
  
For some reason, that night, Murdoc slept the easiest he had in awhile.  
  


* * *

Rolling over, eyes heavy with sleep, 2D snuggled into the warmth next to him.  
  
Before he could doze off again, he was pushed off the mattress, causing him to yelp in surprise.  
  
"Whaddya think you're doin' dullard?!" Came the response of a very pissed off Murdoc Niccals.  
  
" 'm sorry, Mudz," 2D tried to explain. "Forgot where I was-"  
  
"Get out, ya idiot."  
  
"Yeah, okay."  
  


* * *

"You alright, 2D?" Noodle stepped onto the balcony with a look of concern painted across her face.

"Yeah. Jus' smokin'."  
  
"Are you sure? Did Murdoc say somethin-"  
  
"Noodle. I'm fine," 2D assured her. "M' happy to be back."  
  
"We're happy to have you back. Even Murdoc. Trust me."  
  
2D nodded at the young girl. Noodle was way beyond her years due to her rough childhood. When 2D had first met her, she was a tough and resilient girl, and that hadn't changed as she grew into a woman. He loved her like a sister, and Russel like a brother, but Murdoc?…  
  
…Murdoc was another story.

* * *

"Will you ever change, Niccals?"

"Not sure what you're talkin' abou' Russ, but the answer is probably not," snarked Murdoc, rummaging through his alcohol cupboard.  
  
"I think you know exactly what I mean. You cry over your best mate, and the second he comes back, you're right back at it with him."  
  
"I did not cry-"  
  
"That's not what Noodle said."  
  
Murdoc glared at the younger man. _That little shit_.  
  
"I think you need to apologize."  
  
"Fuck off, mate."  
  
"How about I put it this way, you don't get any of that shit-" Russel gestured to the cupboard of assorted poisons, "until you apologize."  
  
"WHA'? YA CAN'T DO THAT YA FUCKIN' OAF-"  
  
"I damn well can, and you know it. I'm sure Noodle will be on board with me."  
  
"Fuck you,"  
  
"Love you too, mate."  
  


* * *

  
2D heard the screen door slide open once again, long after his conversation with the young guitarist had ended. He'd spent nearly all morning outside, but he didn't mind it. He was enjoying the air.  
  
"Dents?"  
  
"Wha' is i' Murdoc," he replied, not turning to face his bandmate.  
  
"I'm uh…I'm sorry?"  
  
"No yer not. Russ put ya up to this, didn't he?"  
  
Murdoc didn't reply for awhile. So long, that 2D had thought he had left.  
  
"Doesn't mean I'm not sorry."  
  
"Are yew? Because I don' think yew are. I think yew'll start being a massive prick once again not even five minutes after this conversation."  
  
"Why's it matter to you so much?"  
  
"Fuck off, Murdoc," 2D muttered, shoving the bassist away from him  
  
"Fuck you, Stu," Murdoc shoved right back  
  
"Don' touch me, yew prick-"  
  
"Then stop being a twat!"  
  
"I hate yew-"  
  
"I hate ya t-"  
  
Murdoc couldn't finish his sentence as he was pulled into a searing kiss by the taller man.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Mudz-"  
  
"I should go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: so sorry it took me this long to update. I decided against having 3 chapters originally, but I think that's what I'll do now. The next update will be sooner for sure. this is sort of a filler chapter, but I hope you liked it! xx

**Author's Note:**

> So this was part one! I hope you liked it, as I will be adding the finale (part two) as soon as I finish the last couple of sections. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments, loves.


End file.
